Five Quick and Healthful Dinners with Shrimp

By Erin Rogers

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Fresh or frozen shrimp is such a great nutritional choice. It's low in fat and calories, high in protein and it's extremely quick to cook. It's also very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of meals, from salads, pastas and pizza to sandwiches and stir-fries. It's a great choice for a quick and healthy meal.

Here are five simple ideas for super-quick dinners using this delicious shellfish:

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Saute fresh, peeled shrimp with a small amount of sesame oil and chopped garlic. Add steamed broccoli, thinly sliced red bell pepper, a splash of teriyaki sauce. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with brown rice (instant works well).

Shrimp Caesar Salad
For this dish, precooked, peeled shrimp works well. Start with a bowl of torn romaine lettuce; add shrimp, fresh grated parmesan cheese, fat-free croutons and fat-free caesar dressing. Serve with fresh, sliced tomatoes and a whole-wheat baguette.

Quick Shrimp Fajitas
Saute fresh, peeled shrimp in a small amount of oil and garlic until cooked through (add a dash of red pepper flakes if you like a bit of spiciness). In same pan, saute sliced bell peppers and onion until crisp-tender.

Place shrimp and vegetable mixture into flour tortillas with your choice of low-fat condiments (light sour cream, a small amount of avocado or guacamole, and salsa). Serve with black beans with a dash of lime juice.

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs
Peel shrimp. Thread onto skewers (if using wood, soak in water prior to using) with your choice of chunks of bell peppers, onion, mushroom, tomato, pineapple. Brush with teriyaki sauce. Grill, turning once, until shrimp is cooked through and vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches
For this meal, you could easily use canned shrimp or precooked cocktail shrimp. Simply coarsely chop shrimp, toss with a light coating of light mayonnaise, fresh or dried parsley and garlic salt (or other seasonings of your choice). Spoon onto a sliced whole-wheat baguette and top with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Serve with a tossed salad.

Some additional quick meals using shrimp are quesadillas, burritos, Greek salad or pizza, tacos, or even pasta with a simple shrimp-and-vegetable topping. Use your imagination and substitute shrimp for other meats in your favorite dishes. Even non-seafood eaters may find this mild seafood to be quite tasty. Give it a try -- it's a great, quick-to-prepare ingredient for all kinds of healthy meals!

About the author: Erin Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of http://hop.clickbank.net/?coincide/healthe2 Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living resources for busy people. Visit her website, to sign up for the FREE newsletter, "Dinners on the Double" offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner idea each week. Other available services include quick and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots more! Erin can be reached via e-mail here mailto:erin@health-e-meals.comr.For more food and cooking, http://sheknows.com/about/Food_and_Cooking/index.htm here.